Latin Online

Lesson 7

Winfred P. Lehmann and Jonathan Slocum

Ennius, 239-169 BC, was born in southern Italy, at Rudiae, twenty miles from Brundisium.
Besides Latin he spoke Greek and Oscan. Having joined the Roman army, he was brought to Rome
and settled there for the rest of his life. He supported himself by teaching Greek, as well
as through his writing. He had contacts with other literary figures of his day, though it is
unclear whether Plautus was among them. Among his works were tragedies, poems and most
important, the Annals, which, like the Homeric poems, is composed in dactylic hexameters.
Beginning with its background at Troy, the Annals covered the history of Rome until
shortly before the time of the death of Ennius.

Reading and Textual Analysis

This selection is taken from the Annals of Ennius. The text was "edited and translated"
by E. H. Warmington in his four volumes of Remains of Old Latin I, page 30 (Cambridge: Harvard
University Press, 1961, Loeb Classical Library No.294). It is of interest for its account of the
naming of Rome, the contest between the two brothers, Romulus and Remus, and the account of the
augury, as well as for an example of archaic Latin. Warmington has modified the spelling, so that
it is in keeping with the conventions of classical Latin. There are, then, few differences in this
text from the written language several centuries later. The Annals have come down to us in
fragments, which Warmington has assembled; among these, this selection is relatively lengthy.

Translation

Then with very great care and desiring the supreme power, they turn
their attention at the same time to watching and to divination by the flight of
birds ... on a hill. Remus devotes himself to the auspices and by himself looks for
a favorable bird. But handsome Romulus searches on high Aventine, and looks for
the high-flying kind. They contested whether they would call the city Rome or
Remora. There is anxiety among all the men to see which of the two would be supreme
chief. They are expectant, as when the consul will give the signal, and all look
eagerly at the boundaries of the area to see how soon he will send out the chariots
from the painted jaws. So the people were waiting and holding their tongues,
looking forward to see to which of the two the victory of great authority would
be given by the events. In the meantime the white sun has gone down to the depths
of night. Then the clear light thrust out with its rays; and at the same time from
far on high a most beautiful prophet of a bird flew at the left, at the same time
as the gold sun rose. Three or four holy birds fly down from the heavens, and
establish themselves on places that are auspicious and beautiful. From that
Romulus sees that the established seat and throne of supreme power have been
given to him as his own.

Grammar

31. The Perfect System.

The perfect system is comparable in tenses and moods to the present system.
Its basic meaning is a state as a result of completed action. In many ways the
difference is comparable to that in English. The past or imperfect simply
indicates a situation or an action in past time; the perfect however has the
additional connotation of completed action. We can say: "I went to town yesterday"
but not "I have gone to town yesterday". The specification provided by the adverb
"yesterday" does not permit a verbal form that indicates a state. At times, then,
the Latin perfect may be translated with a present tense form.

32. The Perfect Tense forms of the first conjugation verb dono an the first singular forms of the three other conjugations.

1st conjugation

Active Voice

Passive Voice

Indicative

Subjunctive

Indicative

Subjunctive

1 sg

dōnāvī

dōnāverim

dōnātus sum

dōnātus sim

2 sg

dōnāvistī

dōnāveris

dōnātus es

dōnātus sīs

3 sg

dōnāvit

dōnāverit

dōnātus est

dōnātus sit

1 pl

dōnāvimus

dōnāverīmus

dōnātī sumus

dōnātī sīmus

2 pl

dōnāvistis

dōnaverītis

dōnātī estis

dōnātī sītis

3 pl

dōnāvērunt

dōnāverint

dōnātī sunt

dōnātī sint

2nd conjugation

1 sg

habuī

habuerim

habitus sum

habitus sim

3rd conjugation

1 sg

tēxī

tēxerim

tēctus sum

tēctus sim

4th conjugation

1 sg

audīvī

audīverim

audītus sum

audītus sim

33. The Pluperfect Tense forms of the first conjugation verb dōnō, and the first singular forms of the three other conjugations.

1st conjugation

Active Voice

Passive Voice

Indicative

Subjunctive

Indicative

Subjunctive

1 sg

dōnāveram

dōnāvissem

dōnātus eram

dōnātus essem

2 sg

dōnāverās

dōnāvissēs

dōnātus erās

dōnātus essēs

3 sg

dōnāverat

dōnāvisset

dōnātus erat

dōnātus esset

1 pl

dōnāverāmus

dōnāvissēmus

dōnātī erāmus

dōnātī essēmus

2 pl

dōnāverātis

dōnāvissētis

dōnātī erātis

dōnātī essētis

3 pl

dōnāverant

dōnāvissent

dōnātī erant

dōnātī essent

2nd conjugation

1 sg

habueram

habuissem

habitus eram

habitus essem

3rd conjugation

1 sg

tēxeram

tēxissem

tēctus eram

tēctus essem

4th conjugation

1 sg

audīveram

audīvissem

audītus eram

audītus essem

N.B. The full form for the 4th conjugation, Active voice, Indicative mood, Pluperfect tense is exemplified above by
audiveram; however, according to Leumann et al., Vol. I., p. 598, the -v- has often been omitted since the
time of Plautus. Therefore, Pluperfect forms such as audieram may be observed in later texts, like the one in
our Lesson 10.

34. The Future Perfect Tense forms of the first conjugation verb dono, and the first singular forms of the three other conjugations.

1st conjugation

Active Voice

Passive Voice

1 sg

dōnāverō

dōnātus erō

2 sg

dōnāveris

dōnātus eris

3 sg

dōnāverit

dōnātus erit

1 pl

dōnāverimus

dōnātī erimus

2 pl

dōnāveritis

dōnātī eritis

3 pl

dōnāverint

dōnātī erunt

2nd conjugation

1 sg

habuerō

habitus erō

3rd conjugation

1 sg

tēxerō

tēctus erō

4th conjugation

1 sg

audīverō

audītus erō

35. The forms of the Perfect Infinitive and Participle, with a brief statement on irregular conjugations.

Infinitive

Participle

1st conjugation

perf

dōnāvisse

dōnātus

2nd conjugation

perf

habuisse

habitus

3rd conjugation

perf

tēxisse

tēctus

4th conjugation

perf

audīvisse

audītus

These forms have been given to provide an overview of the conjugations.
A few statements provide information on additional patterns.

As we have noted, deponent verbs have the forms of the passive.

Some common verbs have irregular forms. These are given in dictionaries;
as examples, a few are given here with their principal parts.